


Finding Trouble

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-21
Updated: 2007-01-21
Packaged: 2019-02-02 07:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12722412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: Daniel disobeys an order.





	Finding Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

  
Author's notes: Written in response to a challenge on Danielficrecs.  
  
As always, feedback welcome, appreciated, and gloated over.  


* * *

Finding Trouble  
by taylyn10

Daniel wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to lean against the wall. He was in trouble on so many levels. He'd lied to Sam and disobeyed a direct order from Jack. Not on purpose, of course. Well, yes on purpose but not because he didn't agree with the order. He just had to. Or he and Sam were both going to die. 

The tunnel was lit by some eerie orange moss that had Sam jumping up and down for joy. She'd crated up all the sample vials she could get her hands on in hopes of discovering the source of the luminescence. At the moment though, it was giving him barely enough light to see where he was going. 

He turned slowly feeling his way down the tunnel hoping that water was somewhere close. Very close. Because if it wasn't....He and Sam both had to have water. Now. Or they were going to....Daniel shook his head. Don't think about it. Just get the water and get back. If you can.

He stumbled a little in the rough passage, slipping to his knees and feeling a streak of fire dance across his chest. Damn! It hurt. He spared a minute for a macabre thought. The bruises on his knees would match the ones on his chest. Kind of like a set. He was sure Jack would see the humor in that if he ever made it back. 

He pushed up gripping the wall with his right hand, hearing his nails scrape on the rock. “Just a few more feet,” he thought, “just a few more feet until I find water. Oh, God, please let it be just a few more feet.” He concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other his eyes no longer aware of where he was going. All his muscles ached. His legs, his knees, his hands scraped raw, and his chest which now seemed to be all on fire. He shifted each foot carefully not bringing it up off the ground because each jolt of his foot coming down jarred the bones in his chest. He was sure it was just his imagination that he could hear the bones grind. 

The wall ended abruptly. A cry escaped him as he lurched forward with no support. He staggered and caught himself before he fell, his breath coming in little gasps, a small whimper of pain on each breath.

With an effort of will he opened his eyes surprised to find them closed and saw that he was back at their campsite. How had he done that? He hadn't been aiming for the campsite. As a matter of fact, he had gotten so twisted around in their escape he wasn't aiming anywhere. He just planned to to keep moving until he found water. 

The place was devastated. The fire had been kicked apart and it was long cold, the small cooking grate overturned. The coffee pot was smashed, a dent in its side and a brown stain on the stone underneath it. Daniel remembered that when the attack came, he had been about to take a fresh cup of coffee from the pot. The sleeping bags were torn to shreds, as was Daniel's notebook, and a some jackets that had been sitting by the fire when the attack came. It was a mess. All their gear either destroyed or taken.

But the good part was, a small trickle of fresh water could be heard from twenty feet away. They'd made camp three, maybe four long days ago here in this very spot using the water from the little spring behind them to wash up, make coffee, and fill their canteens. It was a stoke of luck that Sam had been wearing her jacket with the canteen in the pocket when they were attacked. 

Daniel carefully made his way to the opposite wall avoiding the scattered logs from the fire and the bits of gear the natives hadn't taken. It wasn't much. They'd obviously grabbed whatever wasn't tied down. 

The slashing of the little rivulet would have made Daniel's mouth water if he'd had any spit left to do so. Standing beside the little fountain, really no more than the gentle trickle of water out of a tap, Daniel couldn't have been more happy if it had been Niagara Falls. He stuck his hands in, not caring that the water stung the abrasions on them, then filled his palm with water and brought it to his mouth to drink. For a minute, the pains in his hands, his knees, his head, and even his chest faded away in the bliss of a cold drink of water. He scooped the water little by little until he'd had his fill, splashed some on his face to try and keep himself awake, and then filled the canteen. 

He knew he needed to head back right away. Sam was burning up with fever and she needed the water more than he did. He wasn't quite sure how long he'd been gone because a minor collision with a bunch of falling rocks had knocked him out for a little while. It had hit him in the back, he knew that much from the pain he was suffering now, but he didn't know how long he'd been unconscious. He glanced down at the smashed face of his watch. They'd been in the caves two days when they'd run out of water, three days before he'd set out to find some more. He wasn't sure now how many hours or days had gone by since. 

Before he headed back he needed to eat and drink some more water. He'd had to drink his fill now because Sam would be getting every drop in the canteen. Their only canteen. He'd make the trip back (if he could) but in the meantime he needed to drink. Moving away from the damp spot caused by the trickling water, Daniel let himself slide down the wall groaning as he hit the floor and jarred his chest. This time the flare of pain seemed to travel all the way up his back and into his head sending a flash of lightening behind his eyeballs. He closed his eyes tightly waiting for the pain to subside. 

When everything seemed to settle from a blazing inferno to a dull roar, he reached gingerly in his pocket and pulled out a power bar. His stomach churned just at the look of it so he placed it back in his pocket for later. He didn't think throwing up when his ribs hurt like they did would be a whole lot of fun. Instead he took a small sip of water, dismayed when even that seemed to make his stomach churn. He quieted his breathing, blessing Teal'c, yet again, for teaching him some of the basics of Kel'no'reem, and felt his stomach settle. 

He leaned his head back against the cold stone wondering when Jack and Teal'c would be back. Jack had told them they'd be back as he ran down the tunnel of the caves. “Take care of Carter,” he heard Jack say. “We'll get these guys out of here and we'll be back. Sit tight, Daniel. Stay out of trouble.” A quick pat on the shoulder and Jack was gone, who knew how many days ago. He hoped Jack and Teal'c were okay. 

He wanted to sleep—so badly. He wanted to put his head down right now and sleep for a week. He started to slip sideways until his head hit something soft. Jack was going to be mad at him. He'd told him to sit tight and they'd be right back. He wanted to sleep for a week in the infirmary even with Janet poking him every few hours. Even if Jack was mad at him for disobeying yet another order. Sleep for a week with Sam in the next bed....

Sam! The thought that he'd left Sam behind, alone and feverish in a cave miles from here, jerked Daniel to wakefulness. He had to get back to Sam. 

He reached out with his unsteady hands to push himself up off the floor and came in contact with the soft thing again. Squinting, he looked down to see it was a pack, his pack! Somehow in the attack, they'd missed it. Daniel didn't know how it was possible for him to have such luck, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Eagerly, he opened it looking for the first aid kit. He dry swallowed three aspirin before pulling out a spare sweater to wrap around his neck. He was too stiff and sore to put it on but even a little extra warmth would help. There was also an emergency blanket for Sam when he got back. 

Next, he emptied all the books out. He felt a brief sadness at leaving them until he remembered that he was doing what needed to be done to ensure their survival until Jack and Teal'c got back. He wouldn't even entertain the thought that his friends had been captured, or worse, killed, and wouldn't be coming back. That didn't happen, couldn't happen, to Jack and Teal'c.

He pushed the books into the niche at the back of the cave thinking he could come back for them later. His inventory also revealed two chocolate bars (that would make Sam happy if he decided to give her any) and, oh thank whatever gods were out there watching over disobedient archaeologists, another canteen. Two canteens still wasn't much but it meant double the time until he needed to come back here to fill them with water. There were also a couple of MRE”s and a few power bars. They could survive for several more days on this. 

Daniel was overjoyed. He stuffed all the necessary items back in the pack and pulled himself up slowly from the cold floor. He drank his fill one more time at the waterfall, filled both canteens and slung the pack over his right shoulder. He couldn't wear the pack on his back because it was too painful, but without his books it wasn't too heavy and he thought he could make it back to Sam without too much difficulty. 

The trip back was a nightmare. The pack threw off his balance and every time he stumbled and fell, the searing pain in his chest got worse until it was almost unbearable. Each step he took was an effort and an ordeal as the pain pierced his his back and chest like the thrust of a knife. His head felt heavy; the blood pulsing through it surged and sang in a terrifying rhythm that made his ears ring. Only knowing that Sam was waiting for him kept him going.

The spot of the rockfall was almost his undoing. A pile of rubble barely three feet high and as many across looked like a mountain to Daniel as weak as he was. He choked back a sob as he thought of climbing over it. Eventually, he lobed the pack as far as it would go and crawled to the other side on his bloodied hands and knees. It was only a little further to Sam. He needed to get back to Sam. She was depending on him. 

After what seemed like an eternity, he recognized an outcropping of rock that looked familiar. Around that corner, he'd find his teammate. He stopped for a minute to try and pull himself together—literally he thought as he felt broken bones rub against one another, and then turned the corner. 

Sam's greeting was warm and a little garbled. Obviously, the fever had left her weak but Daniel was so relieved to hear the voice.

“Daniel? Is that you?”

“It's me, Sam. Sorry I took so long.” He made his way to his friend sitting against the wall. In the faint glow of the moss, she still looked pale but alert and she gave him a little smile. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, carefully sitting down beside her. He hoped she couldn't feel the shaking in his hand as he reached out to see if she had a temperature. “Feels like the fever's gone down,” he said. “Let's get you some water and a couple of Tylenol.”

“You found water?” she said faintly. “Oh, thank goodness! Where'd you find it?” 

“Back at the campsite,” he said handing her the canteen. He wanted to open it for her but his hands didn't seem to be able to grip the top and he couldn't tell which of the three tops he was supposed to twist anyways. “It's not much but I'll go back when we need more.” His voice sounded far away.

“You have no idea how much I've missed you,” Sam said. “You've been gone for hours. I thought you were only going to be gone a few minutes.”

Only hours, Daniel thought? It felt like days, weeks. “There's food in the pack—and a blanket.” He should cover her up. She'd been sick with a fever. He tired to reach for the pack but his hands wouldn't work.

“The campsite must be miles from here, Daniel,” she said drinking deeply from the canteen. “How did you find it?” 

The attack on their campsite had been sudden and unexpected. For some reason the inhabitants of the planet didn't want them in the caves. They'd attacked at dark on the first day causing them to flee down the tunnels of the cave. They'd run for hours taking every twist and turn they could think of to throw their pursuers off the trail until Sam had been hit in the leg by some kind of dart. The wound had become inflamed only minutes after the initial hit and that was when Jack had shoved them into this little hole in the wall and told them to stay put. 

Sam said again. “How did you find the campsite?”

“Don't know,” he answered shakily. He'd walked until he found water. That was all he did. Just kept walking.

“Daniel?” 

He heard the voice above him. Above him? When did he lie down. He didn't remember lying down. 

He wanted to tell Sam nothing was wrong but he couldn't make his mouth work.

“Daniel?” She sounded so worried. He felt her hand on his arm. He tried to reach over to take her hand but the pain in his chest exploded and in a blinding rush he was gone.

The swinging of floor made him woozy and he woke up to hear angry voices above him. 

“Why the hell didn't he stay put. I told him I'd be back.”

“You've been gone for days, Sir. If he hadn't gone for water, I'm not sure _I'd_ be here right now. He brought back the pack with the canteens, the medication, MRE's--”

“Damn it, I know Carter,” Jack sounded angry, “but look at the mess he's made of himself this time. What happened to him?”

“I don't know, Sir. He didn't say. He came with the supplies and then collapsed. He wouldn't drink any water and he hasn't been coherent since then. That's almost a day ago.”

He felt a hand on his forehead. “He's burning up, Carter. Damn! What did he do to himself.”

He pulled himself awake wanting to apologize to Jack for his foolishness and to get him to stop yelling at Sam. Sam was still sick.

“Jack?” He said the word.

“We've got a medical team waiting outside the entrance to the cave. And two units of backup.” Jack's voice sounded crisp and businesslike. “You going to make it that far, Carter.”

He heard Sam's stoic, “Yes, Sir.”

“Jack?” Why couldn't he make himself heard. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Jack?” 

The floor stopped swinging. No, not the floor, a litter. He must be on a litter.

“Danny?” That was Jack's voice closer this time.

“Daniel, can you open your eyes for me?” He didn't sound mad anymore. Daniel didn't know if that was a good thing or not. Maybe he was so badly injured that Jack wasn't going to get mad at him. That worried him a little. 

He thought about going back to sleep. Now that the floor—litter--wasn't moving anymore, he thought he could sleep, after he had some water. 

“Thirsty,” he managed to say.

He felt something being held to his lips and the cool trickle of water on his tongue. He drank greedily for minute and then pushed it away. 

“Sam.” He needed to save the water for Sam.

“Sam's had enough water to fill a lake,” Jack said. “Drink some more and then open your eyes. Okay?”

Open his eyes? Oh, his eyes were closed. With an effort he forced them open to see a very worried Jack above him. He started to talk but Jack interrupted him.

“Drink some more first. You're pretty dehydrated.”

Now that his eyes were open he noticed that Jack was kneeling on the floor beside him. Sam was there too, Teal'c holding her up, both of them looking at him anxiously. 

He tried to take the canteen out of Jack's hand so that Jack could stand up before his knees gave out but his hands were still shaking. Jack's hand came around the back of his head to steady him.

“Don't worry. I've got it. Just drink,” Jack said, “slowly.”

Daniel did his best to obey orders this time even though he wanted to down the whole canteen in a single gulp. He sipped slowly, his hand over Jack's until he felt his thirst start to fade. 

“Better?” Jack asked.

He lay back down and nodded. And then he noticed that his chest and back didn't hurt as much when he moved his head. It ached and it was still painful but he didn't feel like he was going to split apart with each movement. He brought his hands up to find his chest bandaged.

“A couple of cracked or broken ribs, I think,” Jack said, answering his unspoken question. “What did you do?” 

“Not Sam's fault,” Daniel mumbled. 

“Why would I think it was Carter's fault?” Jack said surprised. “And that still doesn't answer my question.”

“Sir,” that was Sam, “I think he overheard our...conversation.” 

“Our conver-- Shit, Daniel, I'm not mad at Carter.” Jack sounded upset again. “Danny, you okay?” He felt Jack's hand take his. What had he done this time? Oh! His eyes were closed again. Was that it?

He struggled to open them again to see Jack looking anxiously down at him. “Come on. Let's get him to the infirmary pronto!” He felt the litter sway again and with it his stomach. The swaying made him think he was either going to throw up or pass out. Both ideas had merit. But before he did, he need to tell Jack something.

“Jack?”

The litter stopped its motion once again. Jack squeezed his hand.

“Yeah, Danny?”

“Sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” The pressure on his hand grew.

“Disobeyed an order,” Daniel whispered. “Sorry. Am I in trouble?”

Jack bent over until he was close enough for Daniel to look him in the eye. There was warmth in the brown eyes above him and concern and, Daniel thought, a little bit of laughter. 

“You just keep on disobeying orders, Daniel. You keep right on disobeying orders. Carter's alive because of you.” He gave Daniel's hand one last gentle squeeze. “Now go to sleep.”

He wanted to tell Jack about the waterfall, and the rock slide, and his books.

“Daniel,” he heard the soft voice in his ear, “you can tell me what happened tomorrow. Rest now. That's an order.”

He tried to say, “Yes, Sir,” but he was already asleep.


End file.
